Chimp Haven, The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary
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Chimp Haven is the location of the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary for the United States of America. Its main aim is to provide a home for chimpanzees that are no longer needed for medical research, but also those no longer required by the entertainment industry or as household pets. The sanctuary accepted its first chimpanzees in 2005 and now houses over 100 of them in large forested habitats.[1] The sanctuary itself is located 22 miles southwest of Shreveport, Louisiana.
[edit] History
Chimpanzees have been utilized in the exploration of space and the advancement of medicine. However advancing technology meant that fewer chimpanzees are now needed in these fields, and many that were bred to be used as such are no longer needed. There were too many to be taken in by zoos, so in 1995 the Chimp Haven organisation was founded, with the aim of providing sanctuary to the increasing number of chimpanzees no longer needed for their original role.
In 1997, a report by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) into the management of chimpanzees used for medical research concluded that long-term care facilities were the best and most cost-effective solution for chimpanzees no longer needed in medical research.[2] In 2000 the Chimpanzee Health, Improvement, Maintenance & Protection (C.H.I.M.P.) Act was passed giving support for chimpanzee sanctuaries such as Chimp Haven.[3] The Act stated that funding was to come partly from the NIH and partly from private donations.
In 2002, as provided under the CHIMP Act, the NIH selected Chimp Haven to build and operate the national chimpanzee sanctuary system. Although the NIH underwrote a portion of the sanctuary’s construction and operating costs, Chimp Haven was required to raise matching funds, as well as carry the full responsibility for education and outreach programs. The latter is extremely important, as wildlife and conservation education are incumbent upon any animal stewardship organization, including sanctuaries.
[edit] Present Day
The land for the National Chimpanzee Sanctuary was donated to the Chimp Haven organisation by Caddo Parish[4], and after several years under construction, Chimp Haven accepted its first chimpanzees April 2005. They were Rita and Theresa, both originally used in NASA's space program.[5] These were quickly followed by dozens of other chimpanzees from several large research facilities.
Education is seen as the most important aspect of Chimp Haven. In 2005 the Chimpanzee Trails project was started, allowing the public to access certain areas of the sanctuary and learn about the chimpanzees.[6] Open days are held once a month so the public can see the chimpanzees at large in their habitats. Vetinary students also frequently visit the facility to learn how to care for chimpanzees.
As part of the original CHIMP act, chimpanzee breeding was put on hold for a period of five years. In 2005 the National Institutes of Health converted this into a permanent ban on breeding chimpanzees for any kind of research in the United States.[7] This will hopefully ensure that sanctuaries such as Chimp Haven will be less needed in the future, however the work they do in looking after rescued chimpanzees (for which they receive no government funding) and in educating the public will continue to be important.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.chimphaven.org/ Chimp Haven official website.
- ^ http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/comparative_medicine/chimpanzee_management_program/ The National Institutes of Health Chimpanzee Management Program
- ^ http://www.awionline.org/pubs/Quarterly/winter2001/congress.htm#chimpact, Flourishing Finish to the 106th Congress, Animal Welfare Institute Quarterly, Winter 2001
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/749386.stm Chimp haven moves ahead, Claire Imber, BBC News Website, 15 May, 2000.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/magazine/24CHIMPS.html Planet of the Retired Apes, Charles Siebert, New York Times, July 2005.
- ^ http://www.ursainternational.org/Chimphaven.html Chimp Haven Project Brief - including map of site with Chimpanzee Trails area marked, URSA International
- ^ http://dailynightly.msnbc.com/2007/05/a_chimpanzees_g.html A Chimpanzee's Golden Years, Michelle Kosinski, The Daily Nightly on MSNBC, 25 May 2007
